The Hall of Clestrain, Orphir

The Hall of Clestrain, in Orphir, is one of three Scottish properties in this year’s Restoration television series. If it gets enough votes it will be given a new lease of life using millions of pounds raised during the programme.

Presenter Griff Rhys Jones and film crews have already been in Orkney preparing for the series, which starts on Saturday, May 8.

Those involved in the project were sworn to secrecy until the BBC was ready to announce the Scottish projects for this year.

Restoration divides the UK into ten regions and features three buildings from each area which are in danger of being lost. Architecture and history experts discuss each building, which is also promoted by a celebrity.

Viewers then vote and one from each region goes forward to the final.

Last year, Scotland was divided into two regions and six buildings featured, including Burra Croft, a traditional croft building in Shetland. Voters were charged 30p per call, with at least 17p from each call going into the restoration fund. The winning building was the Victoria Baths in Manchester, which got 282,000 votes and will be restored using the £3.5 million raised during the series.

Many of the “losers” benefited from the programme despite not winning.

A boosted campaign to save Poltimore house and gardens in Cornwall means the gardens will be open to the public this year for the first time in four years. In March, Enfield Council agreed to contribute at least £1 million for investment into the Broomfield House project in north London.

Several Restoration buildings have also received money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.